At The First Sign of Trouble
by AnnaPhylactic
Summary: Is Trip breaking the rules with Hoshi? Archer has a conversation with his chief engineer about his conduct and it's implications. Poor Trip and Hoshi! (My first Enterprise fic - go on, have a read!)


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At The First Sign of Trouble

By AnnaPhylactic

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Disclaimer: Enterprise doesn't belong to me nor do any of the characters I've used here. C'mon, hands up at the back - you thought they were mine, didn't you?!

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"Tell me straight, Trip - is there something going on between you and Hoshi?"

Trip stared at the captain, but couldn't answer him. He gave him a non-committal shrug instead.

Archer took that as a yes.

"You know the rules, Trip! Starfleet officers aren't supposed to get involved with their subordinates. I can't just ignore this."

"Hoshi isn't on my engineering team," Trip couldn't help saying. "I'm not directly her superior." Even in his own head, he didn't sound too convincing.

"She's an ensign. You're a commander and the third in command on board ship - of course you're her superior!" Jon's voice was raising a little. "It's irresponsible of you to pursue a relationship with her!"

This time, it was Trip's temper that rose; he jumped to his feet, his face angry.

"Just a minute, Cap'n. You know I've worked damn hard to get to this position and that being on this ship means the world to me. But I'm not some cold-blooded Vulcan! I can't just switch off my feelings for a person."

Archer sighed, and drummed his fingers on the desk. This wasn't an easy conversation for him to have. He had been suspicious of Trip's feelings for Hoshi for some time. Knowing Trip as well as he did, he had spotted a growing attraction for the young ensign almost before Trip had. Not being certain of Hoshi's feelings on the matter, he had kept his thoughts to himself. Then later, he had kept quiet, hoping that things would burn themselves out. It was only when even his Vulcan science officer noticed something that he felt he had to speak.

"You know T'Pol's has seen you two? She came to speak to me about her, ah, concerns." He asked, keeping his voice deliberately calm. He didn't want to rile his fiery Chief Engineer anymore that he had already.

"Oh really?" Trip drawled sarcastically, slumping back down onto the Star Fleet issue couch. "And what was her _enlightened_ view exactly?"

Archer tried to stop the smile that threatened to play across his lips.

"She… er, felt that your _liaison_ with Ensign Sato was inappropriate and would affect the efficiency of the mission."

"Uh-huh," Trip nodded, rubbing his eyes for a minute. "I don't know what you're laughin' for. Isn't that basically what you're tellin' me?"

Archer looked up. Trip's face was serious. 

"Maybe," he answered earnestly. "But for different reasons."

"And they are?"

"It's hard enough being out here without personal relationships making things more complicated. You've got a tough job on this ship, Trip, and you've done it better than anyone else could have - but can you really continue to do that if you and Hoshi become seriously involved?"

"Other members on the crew have gotten together - don't seemed to have bothered you too much before," Trip countered. "We've got married members of the crew, away from their spouses - you think they don't have feelin's?"

"Trip, that's different and you know it. You're the Chief Engineer and you're the second highest-ranking Star Fleet officer on board. Personally, I rely on you more than anybody else. I need you to have a clear head; whether I'm asking for advice, you're fixing the warp core, or commanding an away mission."

"And you think I can't keep my private feelings sep'rate from my professional judgement?" Trip asked accusingly.

"I don't think that - I wouldn't," Jonathan tried to smile at his friend. "I trust you, Trip, and I trust Hoshi. I'm certain neither of you would ever intentionally put either the crew or the ship at risk for personal reasons…"

"There's a 'but' coming, ain't there?"

"Yes. I don't think either of you would ever _intend_ to do something like that… but if push came to shove it might not be so easy to make that decision. If there's one thing we've learnt out here, it's that even the smallest decisions can have consequences. I don't want either of you to put yourselves at risk. If something went wrong, and Star Fleet command were to find out personal feelings were involved, it could go very badly for you both… You could easily get taken off Enterprise, Trip."

At that last comment, Trip looked up sharply. He could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"I don't like saying this," Jon said gently. "I've seen you two together, and under other circumstances… Look, just think about what I've said, all right? I'm not just speaking as your captain here, I'm not going to order you to do anything - "

"No, you'll just rely on my natural sense of honour I suppose," Trip said, standing up.

"Discuss it with Hoshi," Archer suggested.

"You sure that wouldn't be _irresponsible_?"

"That was a cheap shot, Commander," Archer's pride was pricked.

"I'm sorry, Cap'n," Trip shrunk a little. "I know you're trying to help. And believe it or not, I've thought all the same things myself already, but this is a complication I wasn't expecting from space travel. I've already faced invisible aliens, being nearly frozen, and being pregnant for gawds' sake, but Hoshi… that's something I really don't know how to handle. I never expected to fall in love out here," he added softly.

Archer looked at his friend sympathetically.

"She's an amazing person," he said earnestly, "I don't know if we could have survived out here without her ear."

"But she's so much more than that!" Trip smiled. "She's so smart but also so vulnerable at the same time - then brave on top of that…" He looked at the captain sadly. "But I guess none of that's going to make what I've got to say any easier."

"I'm sorry, Trip."

"Yeah? Me too…"

Trip turned around and left. Archer stayed where he was for some time. It hadn't been an easy conversation to have. He still wasn't sure he'd done the right thing - but he had to say something, didn't he? He needed some reassurance... and some logic.

He reached out to the communicator box on the wall.

"Archer to T'Pol!"

"T'Pol here, Captain," the precise tones of the Vulcan answered immediately.

"If you're not busy, Sub-commander, I'd appreciate it if you'd come to my quarters. I need to discuss something with you."

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Hoshi stared at Trip as they sat opposite one another at a low table in her quarters. Her eyes were wide with disbelief.

"What are we going to do?" she asked, without wanting to hear the answer.

"I don't think I know," Trip said slowly, his eyes sad as he looked at her.

"You think we should forget about us - about what we could have?" she asked, her voice a little harsh as she tried to keep it steady.

"I don't _want_ to, Hosh, you know that - you have to. But… for the sake of the crew, the ship, our own careers... A commander isn't supposed to become involved with an ensign."

"You've made your decision, I understand," Hoshi stood up, beginning to clear away the remains of their meal. Trip put out a hand to stop her.

"Hoshi, please - if there was any other way… I don't want you to hate me. I'm trying to do what's best for both of us. The captain spoke to me about it, for heaven's sake!"

Hoshi put her hand over Trip's and looked him straight in the eye.

"I won't hate you if you're really doing this for us. But if you're doing this just because Jonathan Archer asked you to, or because you're scared of Star Fleet Command… What do you really want, Trip?"

Trip looked up at Hoshi, into her soft brown eyes and found his resolve wavering.

"Hoshi," he said.

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The End

Please Review - Hoshi and Trip would appreciate it so much!!


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